


Let Down Her Hair

by swanqueenfic13



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Rapunzel AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 12:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5586238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanqueenfic13/pseuds/swanqueenfic13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Rapunzel-Regina AU prompt from RapunzelLover:</p><p>"So maybe Eva and Leopold are her real parents or Cora is still her mother but locks her away because of her beauty or something?! That would be your choice but I guess Cora could take her from her parents to revenge on Eva for ruining her relationship with Leo. It should be like the original because of the forced haircut punishment."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Down Her Hair

“Please, Cora! She’s our daughter,” Eva wept. Cora sneered, clutching the newborn baby tight to her chest.

“Were it not for your meddling, she would have been mine. You don’t deserve to be a mother. But don’t fear, dear princess,” Cora taunts, tracing a finger down Eva’s chin. Eva jerks away defiantly. Both women know Cora is no longer a bratty princess, but a queen. “I shall raise her like my own. And someday, she shall be more powerful than you, or your foolish husband.” The baby in her arms started to cry.

“My baby,” Eva cries, lunging forward. Cora just grins, disappearing in a cloud of smoke with the baby. She reappears in her castle, miles and miles away, the baby still crying.

“Hush, child,” Cora sighs, bouncing the newborn. The child immediately quiets, peering up at Cora with her big, brown eyes. She has one small tuft of brown hair on her head. “You could pass for my child. But I think… I shall put you somewhere else for safe keeping, just in case the king and queen get any ideas.” And with that, Cora disappears again in smoke, taking the baby to a tower, deep in the eternal forest.

 

“ _ Regina, Regina, let down your hair to me _ ,” Cora cried. Sixteen years later, and that newborn’s little tuft had grown so long that it now served as Cora’s ladder into and out of the towers. With no staircase, or door, the window was the only entrance. Cora had made it magic-proof, so even she couldn’t poof directly into the tower. She climbs up the ladder of hair, smiling at the girl, her daughter.

“Mother,” she smiles. “Did you have a nice trip?”

“Travel is long, and I hate interkingdom politics,” Cora sighs, shrugging off her travelling cloak. She seats herself in the chair by the fireplace, and puts her feet up while Regina pulls the boots off. “What have you been up to?” Regina hesitates, biting her bottom lip. Cora senses this. “Spit it out, dear.”

“I’ve made a friend,” she mumbles, putting the boots by her mother’s cloak.

“Enough with the mumbling, Regina, dear. I hate the mumbling!” Cora scolds.

“I’ve made a friend, mother,” Regina says, more confident. Cora sits up straight, narrowing her eyes. Regina knows her mother wants a better explanation. “His name is Daniel. He’s the prince of a small kingdom. He was riding by and heard me, um, well, he heard me singing. He’s come by a few times. He’s very nice, mother, I think you’d like it.”

“Oh, he’s a  _ prince _ ,” Cora simpers. Regina deflates, sitting on the floor, looking appropriately submissive. “And he just, oh,  _ happened _ upon our tower this deep in the forest?”

“Mother, he-”

“Men are liars, Regina. Your father left me the moment he found out I was pregnant. He had promised to be with me, and then he left me. Men lie. Their intentions are never what they say they are. You cannot trust this boy,” she interrupts. Regina pinches the skin on her palm underneath the folds of her dress, trying to quell the tears. “You are not to see this boy again. If he comes calling, you pretend not to be home.”

“But Mother, I love him!” Regina shouts. Cora draws back her hand, winding up to strike. Regina flinches, and Cora puts her hand down. Regina looks down, appropriately contrite.

“You do not. He has tricked you. He only wants your power, dear. You’re a princess, and he’s probably just a lowly stable boy, hell bent on climbing the ladder. Or worse, he’s been hired by my enemies. Regina, dear, do you know why I put you out here?”  _ Because you don’t love me, _ Regina thinks.

“No, mother,” she replies softly.

“Because I love you. And my enemies know this. Love is weakness, dear, and they could use you against me. I must protect you,” Cora explains gently. Regina nods, unable to stop one stray tear. Cora wipes it away, taking Regina’s face in her hands, one palm on each cheek. “And that is why I have to forbid you from seeing this boy. I can’t risk you getting hurt.” Regina nods, and the subject is dropped.

 

“Regina, Regina, let down your hair!” A stronger, masculine voice calls the next day. Regina grins briefly before frowning, remembering her mother’s words. She ignores Daniel. On the ground, he grows restless.

“Regina, my love, are you there? I thought I heard you singing. Perhaps I was imagining the sound of angels?” Regina chuckles. “Have I done something to anger you, my love? I will crawl on hands and knees for a thousand years for a chance at your mercy.” Regina smiles and leans on the windowsill. He grins up at her. “My love, have I amused you?”

“You’re a fool, Daniel,” she calls down, but throws her braids down to him. She grimaces a little as he climbs, pulling on her hair, but when he’s in the tower with her, she’s smiling. He kisses her as she laughs. “Not so fast, sir. We have to talk.” He sighs dramatically, laying in front of the fireplace, stoking the blaze.

“Ah, those words can never be good, even when coming from such a pretty, pretty mouth,” he says.

“My mother has forbid me from seeing you,” Regina says bluntly. Daniel falters. “She’s worried you’re not really here because you love me. She says, um, she says you’ve likely been hired by her enemies to kidnap me to try and control my mother.” Daniel stands, pulling Regina to her feet. He brings her close, as if to kiss her, and she closes her eyes. At the last moment, he picks her up, throwing her over the shoulder. 

“She’s right!” he says playfully. She laughs as he carries her around. “I’m taking you away from here and we’re never coming back!”

“Daniel,” she cries. “Put me down!”

“Never,” he roars. “I’ll climb down this tower one handed, throw you over my horse, and take you back to my castle. You’ll be thrown in the dungeon, and you will be my prisoner,” he laughs.

“Daniel,” she repeats, wincing as he steps on her braids.

“Sorry, my love,” he chuckles, setting her back on my feet. “But, I’d never lie to you like that. Perhaps, if I met your mother-”

“No! You can never meet her. She wouldn’t understand!” Regina interrupts, panicking. Suddenly, she hears her mother’s horse approaching.

“ _ Regina, Regina, let down your hair to me, _ ” she calls up. 

“Hide,” Regina hisses. Daniel jumps into her armoire, and she closes the doors behind him before throwing her hair down.

“I found a horse down in the forest,” Cora says plainly. Regina tenses as she takes her mother’s boots off.

“Oh, mother?” Regina says hesitantly.

“Tell me, does your  _ prince _ ride a black horse?”

“Rocinante,” Regina mumbles fondly.

“I don’t have time for this, dear. Where is he?” she sighs.

“In the armoire,” Regina whispers. Cora strides over, looking silly in her stocking feet, but her gaze still radiates enough power. She yanks open the door, and Daniel waves awkwardly. “Mother, he loves me,” Regina protests as Cora yanks him out, cornering him against the wall. Cora turns, one hand holding Daniel in place.

“Love, dear?” she asks, narrowing her eyes. Cora turns back to Daniel, and goes to punch him in the chest. Regina screams as her mother’s hand disappears in Daniel’s chest. When she pulls it back out, something glows red in her hand, and it pulsates. “A man’s heart is never true, unless you can hold it, unless  _ you _ control it.  _ That _ is love, dear.” She squeezes the heart and Daniel cries out.

“Mother, no!” Regina whimpers. But Cora is too far gone. She squeezes the heart tighter until it is nothing more than dust falling from her hand. Daniel falls to the ground. Regina moves toward him, but Cora grabs her by her braids.

“I have had  _ enough _ of your insolence. We are going away. Far away. Somewhere where no one else can find you,” she says darkly, gripping Regina by the hair. They disappear into smoke. Regina opens her eyes to find herself standing in the middle of an island. The waves lap against the sand, and the tower on the island stands tall in solitude. Cora drags Regina up the steps and into the top floor of the tower.

It’s just an empty room with a window open to the water. The wind whips through Regina’s hair, and she stumbles, tripping over her own braids. Cora waves her hands again, and Regina is in the center of the circular room, heavy manacles on her wrist. She waves her arms and finds them connected to chains on the floor. She turns to her mother tears in her eyes, chest heaving. It’s becoming very difficult to breathe. She keeps imagining her mother crushing Daniel’s heart, his body dead on the floor. She hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye.

“Regina, I do love you. This is for your own good. And since your hair is no longer necessary,” she trails off. Regina turns just in time to see the blade approaching her. She squeaks, but it just cuts her hair, the locks falling heavily on the floor. 

“Mother,” Regina wheezes, pleading.

“No. I’ve had enough excuses, enough lies. I love you, Regina, but you must learn obedience. You will be heavily protected here, and we will not have to worry about unwelcome visitors any longer. I’ll be back in a few days,” she drones coldly, turning on her heel and marching down the stairs. Alone now, Regina touches the sheared, uneven ends of her hair. Daniel had loved her hair, but often teased about how she should cut it. He’ll never get to see it.

“Daniel,” she moans, collapsing in a ball on the floor in sobs. It is all too much. Her mother murdering Daniel. The haircut. Daniel’s death. The move. Daniel. Daniel. 

Daniel. 

Regina closes her eyes, letting the numbness wash over her.

**Author's Note:**

> Tada!


End file.
